What Does “Normal” Sleep Look Like for Healthy Dogs?
Dogs sleep a lot, even when they’re healthy and young. How much time per day, exactly? While puppies may be down for the count for up to 20 hours per day, fully grown dogs often get as many as 12 to 14 hours of Zzz’s in a 24-hour period — or about half the day. On top of that, they may spend an additional 30 percent of the day resting, meaning they may only be active about 20 percent of the day.
‘Too Much’ Sleep, Changes in Sleep Cycles, and Other Sleep Problems in Dogs
Getting shuteye can be restorative and getting more of it should be expected, but can there be too much of a good thing?
Changes in sleep cycles are among a list of possible behavior differences the AVMA explains humans should take note of as dogs age. Why? Fluctuations in behavior — including with sleeping — could be a warning sign of a possible disease.
Sleeping more often, for instance, could be an indication of arthritis, depression, diabetes or hypothyroidism.
How will the vet figure out what is going on?
Once you arrive at the vet’s office, the veterinary team will ask you questions to understand what changes you are noticing at home. Then your vet will perform the physical examination and closely look at your dog. Depending on the symptoms and the results of the exam, your vet might recommend diagnostic tests such as:
If the diagnostics confirm that there is a specific disease causing your dog to sleep more, your veterinarian will discuss appropriate treatment and prognosis with you. Or if the results are normal and your dog is deemed healthy, your veterinarian might discuss how to monitor your dog for any changes.
Additionally, especially if the problem was that your dog isn’t sleeping well at night, the vet may also talk to you about how improve the quality of your dog’s sleep.
How Many Hours a Day Do Dogs Sleep? – Puppies, Adults & Seniors
Dog sleeping patterns are different from ours, so donât be surprised if your pooch naps far more than you do! Find out whatâs normal and whatâs not for our pets â and whether you really should let sleeping dogs lie.
Dogs sure can snooze. Unlike humans, who generally stay up all day and then sleep for one long stretch at night, dogs spread out their sleep time. In fact, they might only spend five hours a day being active, with half the day devoted to sleeping, and the remaining time resting.
As with humans, factors such as activity levels, age and health can all affect a dog’s need to sleep, as well as the quality of that sleep. Breed, size, weight and environment will also have a bearing on how much shut-eye they’ll take.